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  #1  
Old 17th October 2014, 06:00 PM
cesare cesare is offline
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Default Any mentor users out there?

A bit of a rash purchase, but it've just picked up a Mentor Studio SLR, with a rotating 9*12 cm film back. It's basically in sound shape, with the usual problems for a camera of this age. The shutters are a bit tatty, and they don't fire reliably (they aren't snappy - i'll re-tension the springs in the rollers), the mirror looks to be quite low on silver, and the focus screen, well, it's a bit old and opaque.

Ignoring all the negatives, it's a fun thing, and i'd like to get it back into a functioning condition to use it as a large format portrait camera - there's no way i'll be lugging this up a mountain!

My other large format camera is a Crown Graphic, so a sensible folder with a 135mm lens. The registration distance of this lens is much shorter than the mentor requires (I measure it at roughly 18cm to the film plane), so i'll be looking to get something in the 180-250 mm range. I could go with an original Tessar 250, but my thinking is i'd be better off getting a lens with a suitable shutter to be used on either camera (so I could use it on the mentor with the focal plane shutter, assuming I get it operational.

So, what 180/250 mm lenses would you recommend for such a project? I'm not after excessive sharpness as it's mainly going to be for portraits, so something fast and wide with an interesting look, but with a shutter if I want to stick it on the crown graphic would be ideal.

The mentor has front shifts on both axis, and the ultimate plan would be to convert it to 5*4 (as i've got lots of film holders and 5*4 in the freezer), get a nice portrait lens on it, and take some characterful images with it.

I'll post some pictures of it next to a hasselblad - it's quite a bit bigger!
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  #2  
Old 22nd October 2014, 06:23 AM
cesare cesare is offline
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Here's a comparison of the body size next to an RZ67 and a 2000FC to give an idea of size. As you can see, it's not exactly small.

DSCF1539 by Cesare Ferrari, on Flickr


I've bought a Tessar 250 for it. No progress on a 5*4 back though, i'll move the one from my graphex across to test the theory.
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  #3  
Old 22nd October 2014, 07:55 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Why not shoot 9x12 the size is quite easy to get hold of, it's a standard Continental European size. 9x12 plate holders and film sheath adapters are quite easy to find, as are roll film backs to shoot 6x9. The only problem is find the right fit/edge type. I've a couple of hundred + metal plate holders of differing sizes and fit so might be able to help.

My Kershaw Soho Reflex 5x4 has a 7" Cooke lens, so that's close to 180mm.

If you feel up to replacing the shutter curtains I have material. I've a few focal plane shutter cameras awaiting restoration

Ian
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  #4  
Old 27th October 2014, 06:51 AM
cesare cesare is offline
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The reason to avoid 9x12 is just that i've only got one film holder, and no 9x12 film, whilst i've got a heap of 5x4 holders and film. I've disassembled the existing back and the rotating section is rather fine, so i'll build a back myself to take my holders.

The lens hasn't turned up yet, but the shutter is now operating well. I tightened the springs in the rollers and they appear to be good. The second timers are operating, the only thing that isn't is the cable release for the shutter which looks to have a mangled spring.
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  #5  
Old 27th October 2014, 08:43 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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I'm going the other way with postcard sized Graflex, well only partially so.

The back can easily be adapted to take a modern 5x4 DDS, actually the fit is almost perfect, just needs slight centering and a method of securing and. However the vertical width of 3½" is restricting, it can't really be opened up much as the rolled blinds would be in the way.

So my plan is to acquire (or swap for 4x5's) some modern 9x12 International sized DDS. I could shot on either 5x4 or 9x12 fil that way.

You might try contacting Miguel Coquis in Paris via the LF forum), he's had quite a few Mentors, and I think done a few conversions, I bought a load of Graflex parts off him last year including the Postcard Graflex.

Ian
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  #6  
Old 5th November 2014, 08:13 PM
cesare cesare is offline
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Well, progress has been made. I've made a holder out of plywood to fit the existing rotating plate. I've got two lenses, and rodenstock 240/5.6 which fits the lens board, and a Tessar which I don't have a board for yet.

I went out and about to take some test shots - here's the camera in situ.

DSCF1554 by Cesare Ferrari, on Flickr

Unfortunately due to fussing about too many other things, I managed to under-expose the shots by I calculated 5 stops! Now normally I can get things out by a stop by simply rounding down not up on exposure, or out by two stops by not resetting my light meter from ISO400 to ISO100, but this beat even my usual level of incompetence...

Anyhow, I attempted to compensate in development, and have some very thin negatives that tell me that the shutter works, the mirror definitely gets out of the way, and that I need to be more careful and double check when exposing ;-) Oh, a slight light leak on one negative that says I need to add a spring back to hold the holder in place (I knew this).

Bring on the weekend, and i'll try again...
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  #7  
Old 4th July 2016, 09:56 PM
Petlof Petlof is offline
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Default Mentor users

Hi
We are at least two Mentor users now.
I just inherited a Mentor 9x12 with 6x9 cm roll film holder after my grandfathers brother who was the local photografer in my hometown.

I havent made any exposes yet, but the camera seems to work just fine.
Would like to find som film holders for 9x12.

I would love to see some of the photos you have taken with the Mentor. Can you share some links to photos?

Best regards
/Peter
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  #8  
Old 8th December 2016, 03:11 PM
rooos rooos is offline
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Default I love this camera

I got myself two half working studio reflexes and made one very well working one from them.

The shutter is actually rather straight forward to trim. Recalibrating the matte screen and getting a new first surface mirror does wonders for accurate focusing. Adding a neck strap for stability makes it well suited for handheld shooting (better than my linhof rangefinder).

This camera is actually a pure pleasure to work with, both in the street and in the studio. The 1/5 x-sync is great and the mirror flap is not a problem once you have gotten a hang on how to release the shutter in the right way.

I was lucky that one of my cameras had the original glass plate back and the other a spring back. Its a few screws to change between them, but one doesnt shoot glass plates every day, does one?

I have two questions about the camera though.
The only thing i havnt gotten to work is the timer. Anyone know how its supposed to work?

Anyone have a copy of the users manual? (german or any latin/romance, nordic or germanic language works fine)
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